Life That Fits Like a Glove

Lee Block is the owner of Racer Gloves USA, the domestic arm of the Australian company that makes some of the best gloves you can own. Here's the start of his story.

On Father’s Day, 1988, Lee Block was entering the second lap in a race at Loudon riding a Honda VF Interceptor when he experienced the worst crash of his professional career. He broke both wrists, a leg and had several other injuries.

He went home a few days later and once he was out of the casts, he went through months of physical therapy. At one point, his girlfriend and future wife, Michelle, had to do everything for him…and we mean everything. That’s some serious love and dedication!

Some people might give up racing after that, maybe even more. Others keep going and get more determined. Count Lee among the latter.

The crash happened three years into Lee’s racing career. He’d go on to race three more years and ride in over 150 races before putting his racing gear away. All except the gloves – he still has the pair he wore when he crashed.

“When my first daughter was born in ‘91, I decided to quit racing. I didn’t want her to grow up not knowing who her father was. But I never stopped riding motorcycles.”

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Lee’s dad might be the one you could point to as having started it all. When Lee was 10, Mr. Block bought Lee a Rupp mini-bike. Little did Lee’s dad know what kind of future that little Rupp would create for his son. But as a rider himself, he probably didn’t think about it.

A dirt track where Lee and his buddies had raced each other on their banana-seated bikes became the perfect place to bomb around on the Rupp. A year later, the mini-bike was replaced by a small Enduro, and Lee never looked back. What’s crazy is Lee and the guy who had that bike as a kid are still friends to this day.